Date

Written By

Blast that AC and keep ice cubes on reserve, it's summer! You might take a cool shower to fend off the heat, or dig into some ice cream for an instant cool-down. But what about our feline companions? Imagine having to weather the heat of the summer while wearing a winter coat.

Cats are very susceptible to heat stroke. Overheated cats can show several symptoms, so as the temperatures rise be on the lookout for any of these:

Excessive panting

A bright red tongue and red or pale gums

Thick saliva

Signs of depression, weakness, or dizziness

Vomiting or diarrhea

Cats experiencing heat stroke can even lead to shock and coma, so it's pretty important to keep your kitties cool.

And what better way to keep cool than chilly summer snacks? Here are some of our favorite ideas for cool, kitty-friendly summer snacks!

Cool Cat Summer Snacks Ideas

Frozen treats and "catsicles"

Who doesn't love popsicles? Of course you wouldn't give your cat human popsicles, but you can make special kitty popsicles for your cat to enjoy. To make a "catsicle" just freeze some kitty-friendly liquids and serve -- it's that easy! You can make some easy catsicles by freezing low-sodium broth or soft cat food for a delicious (and deliciously cool) kitty treat. For an easy and delectable cat popsicle, check out this recipe by the Oh Honey Blog. As a bonus, you can use these treats to get some awesome kitty photos to share on your Instagram feed. Sparklecat shares some tips on taking catsicle "selfie" shots on her blog!

Froyo

It's more than just a recent trend: frozen yogurt is a yummy cold treat that your cat might enjoy too. Freeze some non-chocolate greek yogurt or cottage cheese in ice-cube trays for a small snack that can aid your cat's digestion. Don't give kitty more than one cube every once in a while, and stop if she shows any kind of negative reaction to it. Always treat in moderation!

At the moment, there are more dog-specific cool treats than ones for cats. But if you'd rather leave the treat-making to the pros, there's Cool Claws. Cool Claws is a specially formulated frozen treat for cats that actually contains some great stuff for their health.

Ice Cubes

There's one super easy and surefire way to cool down your cat this summer: ice, ice, baby! Just throw a few ice cubes into your cat's water bowl or give her ice cubes on their own in a deep bowl (to avoid a mess) and your cat will be thankful.